At the General Assembly on 25.09.2025, the members of the Association of Austrian Private Hospitals elected the Executive Committee for the 2025-2030 term of office. Prim. Dr. Josef F. Macher (Klinik Diakonissen Linz) was confirmed as President.
This is Macher's fourth term in office at the head of the association. "One of my priorities for the coming years will be to raise the profile of the indispensable healthcare role of privately run clinics and rehabilitation facilities for the Austrian healthcare system. We are indispensable, system-relevant providers at the highest medical level and make a significant contribution to the healthcare of the population," said the re-elected President. Werner Fischl (Mavie Med Kliniken) and Dr. Georg Semler (Rudolfinerhaus Privatklinik) will also continue to serve as Vice Presidents. New additions as Vice Presidents are Annette Leja (Kettenbrücke Private Clinic, Innsbruck) and Stefan Günther (Hospitals), who previously worked for the association as Secretary General. Robert Untermarzoner (Privatklinik Kreuzschwestern Graz), Thomas Ebm, MSc (Wiener Privatklinik) and Herbert Ratz (Humanomed, Carinthia) were also newly appointed to the Executive Committee . President Macher thanked the outgoing members of the Executive Board Thomas Kreuz, KommR. Dipl. KH-Bw. Robert N. Winkler, DI Werner Hörner, Gernot Krugfahrt and Walter Dolzer for their many years of support.
Valuable synergies between public and private
Private hospitals have become increasingly important in recent years, as they stand for first-class medicine to the highest quality standards and act as an important employer. Private clinics are not only becoming increasingly popular with patients. The growing number of collaborations between public and private providers also shows that the private sector is making an important contribution to relieving the burden on the public sector and therefore represents a central pillar of domestic healthcare. "Studies such as the one conducted by the economic research institute Economica in 2024 show that patients would have to wait significantly longer for medical procedures without the private sector. The PRIKRAF clinics shorten the queues in public hospitals and thus make a significant contribution to relieving the burden," explains President Josef F. Macher.
There is also an urgent need for action in rehabilitation medicine. Stronger networking of the various phases - acute and post-acute - and better integration and cooperation between public and private healthcare providers would better reflect the realities of patients' lives and also allow a holistic view of a person's illness.
"As an independent lobby group, we will introduce proposals to the political agenda on the burning issues of financing, deregulation, specialist staff and innovation and continue to actively exchange ideas. The enormous achievements of private healthcare providers for the benefit of all must also be recognized accordingly," says Macher.
About the association
The Association of Austrian Private Hospitals has represented the interests of legal entities of private hospitals since 1953 and has its own collective bargaining capacity. It represents one of the main pillars of the Austrian healthcare system. Further information can be found at www.privatkrankenanstalten.at
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Doris Lenhardt
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Wohllebengasse 4/6+7, 1040 Vienna
Mobile: +43 650 400 27 81
E-mail: doris.lenhardt@himmelhoch.at
Prim. Dr. Josef F. Macher was confirmed as President of the Association of Austrian Private Hospitals, © Birgit Steinberger/photoINstyle
From left to right: Executive Committee members Thomas Ebm, MSc (Wiener Privatklinik), Herbert Ratz (Humanomed, Carinthia), Robert Untermarzoner (Privatklinik Kreuzschwestern Graz), Martin Witting (Privatklinik Hochrum), Vice President Stefan Günther (Hospitals), President Prim. Dr. Josef F. Macher (Klinik Diakonissen Linz), Vice President Annette Leja (Privatklinik Kettenbrücke, Innsbruck), Vice President Werner Fischl (Mavie Med Kliniken), Honorary President Dr. Erich Sieber (Evangelisches Krankenhaus Wien), © Birgit Steinberger/photoINstyle
